English General James Wolfe had a very successful career, which included a role in suppressing Scottish Jacobite forces in 1745. He gained renown not for this aspect of his career, but for his role in defeating French forces holding Quebec in 1759. William Pitt (elder) assigned Wolfe the command of an expedition to take Quebec in that year, and Wolfe successfully fulfilled his task, though died during the battle.
Author Robert Wright, in his "The Life of Major-General James Wolfe..." offers the following quote from Sir Walter Scott on the character of Wolfe (and Pitt): 'Pitt and Wolfe, therefore, were considered as characters above ordinary humanity, not so much on account of the power and eloquence of the Minister or the prowess of the General, as because they made the honour and welfare of their country their sole aim. "They dared," as Sir Walter Scott says, "to contemn wealth; the statesman and soldier of the present day would, on the contrary, not dare to propose it to himself."..'
James Wolfe was born this day, January 2nd, in the year 1727.
Showing posts with label William Pitt the Elder. Show all posts
Showing posts with label William Pitt the Elder. Show all posts
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Saturday, January 23, 2010
William Pitt the Younger
'The mighty chiefs sleep side by side;
Drop upon Fox's grave the tear,
'Twill trickle to his rival's bier.'
Walter Scott's first line above refers to the two William Pitt's; the Elder Lord Chatham, and the Younger, who died on January 23, 1806. Line two, the Whig Charles James Fox, rival of Pitt the Younger.
Pitt's public career included functioning as a prime minister from 1783 - 1801 and again between 1804 - 1806. This timeframe includes the great events of the era; the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars. Pitt's career was necessarily shaped by these events.
One outcome of these times, which Pitt actively supported, was the uniting of Ireland with Great Britain; the Act of Union of 1800. In one respect, a defensive measure, as Irish nationalists had attempted a rebellion in 1798, and the threat of intercession from France was considered great.
Pitt, in his second ministry encouraged Great Britain's involvement in the Third Coalition, joining Austria, Russia, and Sweden against Napoleon. Not long after, in October 1805, Horatio Nelson prevailed over the French at the Battle of Trafalgar, establishing English naval supremacy for the duration of the war.
Pitt figures prominently in Scott's "The Life of Napoleon".
Drop upon Fox's grave the tear,
'Twill trickle to his rival's bier.'
Walter Scott's first line above refers to the two William Pitt's; the Elder Lord Chatham, and the Younger, who died on January 23, 1806. Line two, the Whig Charles James Fox, rival of Pitt the Younger.
Pitt's public career included functioning as a prime minister from 1783 - 1801 and again between 1804 - 1806. This timeframe includes the great events of the era; the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars. Pitt's career was necessarily shaped by these events.
One outcome of these times, which Pitt actively supported, was the uniting of Ireland with Great Britain; the Act of Union of 1800. In one respect, a defensive measure, as Irish nationalists had attempted a rebellion in 1798, and the threat of intercession from France was considered great.
Pitt, in his second ministry encouraged Great Britain's involvement in the Third Coalition, joining Austria, Russia, and Sweden against Napoleon. Not long after, in October 1805, Horatio Nelson prevailed over the French at the Battle of Trafalgar, establishing English naval supremacy for the duration of the war.
Pitt figures prominently in Scott's "The Life of Napoleon".
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